======= Date Modified 27 Jun 2012 21:20:34 =======
I hate to register just to seek help, but I'm struggling with the final steps of my PhD.

I went through a few drafts of my thesis with my advisor. I then passed my defense, with my committee giving me a list of stuff to fix. Now, however, my advisor is getting merciless on corrections - even though he was fine with me defending. The deadline is fast approaching, and he is just getting more and more demeaning. He has recently said my thesis was "terrible" and he "cringed" when he read it. None of his previous students went through corrections like this, and my writing is in no way worse than theirs.

I've already started my post-doc, and can't work on my thesis like he thinks I should. Any words of advice on how to keep trucking? Each email is more and more depressing. I'm starting to lose sight of what I thought was the end of the tunnel I was already through. Is there hope? I feel like I'm having a panic attack after each email.

Hi RockSalt,

Sounds like a bad place to be.  Maybe I dont understand your process properly. I thought that the person who had to agree to your changes was you examiner, not your supervisor?  So I would think that you address the items in your list, then email to the examiner and say if this is OK. If he/she/they say its OK, then print, bind, submit and forget about it.

Dont know if that helps...

Potatoes

======= Date Modified 28 Jun 2012 02:09:10 =======

Sounds like RockSalt is at a US institution (definitely not a UK one). It works quite differently over there - instead of the viva with an internal and external examiner, you have a defence in front of your advisory committee. Bottom line is your supervisor only has to sign off on your intention to submit form in the UK; in the US, your advisor plays a direct role in deciding whether/when you get to graduate since they have to sign off on the thesis itself.

Is it possible for you to bring in a third party to mediate?

Ah I see your point David. Rocksalt, I cant be of much help then....

Hi RockSalt,

I'm sorry to hear that your advisor has been treating you so badly! I can see how it would be difficult to keep trucking after receiving some pretty harsh insults.

Here are a couple of suggestions on how to proceed:

1.) You could meet with the Dean of Graduate Students at your university and discuss your situation with him/her. He/She may have the authority to step in and mediate the situation or, at the very least, could advise you on how best to handle it. When I was in graduate school, I met with the Dean of Graduate Students to discuss an advisor-related issue and was pleased to receive the support I needed from him.
2.) If your university allows it, you could consider having your thesis professionally edited. A good editor could smooth out the writing.

I hope that helps! Best of luck!

Michelle Jones, PhD, ELS